Episode 2: Pregnancy in Prison (and Jail)

About 4% of women entering jail and prison in the U.S. each year are pregnant. What kind of healthcare does our punitive carceral system provide to pregnant inmates and their unborn children?

SOURCES:
1. www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/incarceration.html
2. Promoting health care for pregnant women in prison: A review of international guidelines (2020) Alirezaei, S. & Roudsari, R. L.
3. “ACOG Committee Opinion Number 830: Reproductive Health Care for Incarcerated Pregnant, Postpartum, and Nonpregnant Individuals” (2021) The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women
4. www.amnestyusa.org/reports/usa-not…men-in-custody/
arrwip.org/projects/pregnancy-…stics-pips-project/
5. Imprisoning pregnant and parenting women: A focus on social justice, equal rights, and equality (2020). Cross, J.
Health care of pregnant women in U.S. state prisons (2012) Ferszt, G. G. & Clarke, J. G.
6. Stigma and US nurses’ intentions to provide the standard of maternal care to incarcerated women, 2017 (2020) Goshin, L. S., Sissoko, G., Stringer, K. L., et al.
7. Within prisons, is there an association between the quantity of prenatal care and infant birthweight? (2008) Howard, D. L., Strobino, D., Sherman, S., et al.
8. “Pregnant behind bars” (2022) Hutchinson-Colas, J. & AlShowaikh, K.
9. Shackling and pregnancy care policies in US prisons and jails (2023) Kramer, C., Thomas, K., Patil, A., et al.
10. “Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016: Medical problems reported by prisoners” (2021) from DOJ Bureau of Justice Statistics, by Maruschak, L. M., Bronson, J., & Alper, M.
11. www.ncchc.org/position-statement…-individuals-2020/
www.ncchc.org/position-statement…nal-settings-2020/
12. “Mothers Behind Bars: A state-by-state report card and analysis of federal policies on conditions of confinement for pregnant and parenting women and the effect on their children” (2010) from The Rebecca Project for Human Rights and National Women’s Law Center
13. Jailcare: Finding the Safety Net for Women Behind Bars (2017) by Carolyn Sufrin
14. Pregnancy outcomes in US prisons, 2016-2017 (2019) Sufrin, C., Beal, L., Clarke, J., et al.
15. Pregnancy prevalence and outcomes in U.S. jails (2020) Sufrin, C., Jones, R. K., Mosher, W. D., et al.
16. Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women, 2nd Edition (2012) by Victoria Law